Tag: hiroshima
Paying Respects at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Without question, one of the top attractions in Hiroshima is the Peace Memorial Park (or Heiwa Kinen Koen). This 120,000sqm section of the city was once the hub of all activity and was thus targeted for bombing during World War 2. After...
Onomichi Cat Alley is a Cat Lover’s Paradise: Prepare to Lose your Mind
If Studio Ghibli were inspired by a real town, Onomichi would be it. The city clings to Mt. Senkoji with winding stairways, sea breezes, and surprise encounters aplenty. Its most popular sight is its sacred mountain trail, which winds trekkers through 25...
Backpacking Through Japan – An Overview
In the spring of 2019, my fiancée and I spent three weeks backpacking from Tokyo to Okinawa. Traveling over 2000 kilometers using a mix of almost two dozen local trains, five buses, and one boat, we managed to traverse more than half...
These Adorable Knitted Hats Are Unmissable on Miyajima
A popular tourist destination in Japan is Itsukushima, a small island near Hiroshima City. Known colloquially as Miyajima, its claim to fame is the iconic giant torii gate that seems to float when the tide comes in and submerges the base of...
Renewal on Miyajima: Tokyo to Okinawa Day 8
The island of Miyajima, also known as Itsukushima, is a short trip away from Hiroshima. Throughout much of its history the island was considered a sacred space, so pilgrims were unable to mourn, give birth, or even die on the island. Moving...
Hiroshima’s Many-Layered History: Tokyo to Okinawa Day 7
Amongst the different regional varieties of the savory pancake-like concoction known as okonomiyaki, connoisseurs frequently tout Hiroshima’s version as one of the best. In other regions, the cabbage, batter, vegetables and meat that form okonomiyaki get mixed together prior to cooking. In...
Shimanami Kaido – Island Wave Sea Highway: Tokyo to Okinawa Day 6
I’ve never been much of a bicycle rider, but the course along the Shimanami Kaido (Island Wave Sea Highway) makes me wish I was. Every year in late fall, the highway that connects Shikoku to the mainland floods with cyclists. Participants travel...
